


The Trouble With Healers, or, Lissa Levels Up

by Trudos



Category: Fire Emblem Musou | Fire Emblem Warriors, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anna bends worlds by existing, Chrom is a caring older brother, Cordelia is still Chrom trash, Economics, Fluff, Gen, Hilarity Ensues, Light Angst, Light ship teasing, Mild crossover with Warriors, More characters to be added, Pairings if you squint a little, Ricken is a broke little shit, Slice of Life, Stahl is hunger, Sumia is having the best day of her life, ambiguous timeline, girl talk, the struggle is real
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-04-26 17:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14406741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trudos/pseuds/Trudos
Summary: Lissa faces the eternal struggle of early-to-midgame healers of not keeping up with enemies level-wise, because gaining experience exclusively from healing is a special kind of struggle. After the last battle, Robin, the Sheperd's friendly neighborhood tactician, and Chrom have come to the unpleasant conclusion that something must be done or Lissa might genuinely die if something goes wrong. And you never count on things not going wrong. And so Lissa receives an ominous summons to the tacticians tent, otherwise known as Strategy Central, where she is to learn of her fate.What was only intended to be a one shot has morphed into the slice of life view into the Sheperd's lives between battles that no one asked for. And is probably going to go for about five chapters at the rate I'm going. Maybe more. But not much more. I was going to keep this close to the chest until it was ready, but my wife insists I post it in its ongoing form for the world to see.





	1. Lissa Levels Up!

The Trouble With Healers, or, Lissa Levels Up

 

            It was a quiet day in the camp as Lissa walked nervously across the clearing to Robin's tent. At least, her feet were taking her slowly towards it, but her eyes were studiously looking in everything but its general direction. As she got closer to it, a canny listener would have noticed her start to mutter under her breath.

            "It's okay, Lissa, really! I'm sure everything will be just fine! I mean, sure, it's not like Chrom told you why he and Robin wanted to talk with you, but it's probably something like... planning Frederick's surprise party! Yeah! I'm sure that's what it is! His birthday is coming up, right? I mean, it's a little odd that he would look so GRIM about it, like, you'd think I was getting kicked out of the army with how serious he sounded, but... Wait, no, Frederick's birthday was three months ago... It's way too early for that..."

            She fell silent, continuing to amble towards Strategy Central, as Robin insisted people call his tent, her gait possibly growing a little slower as she got closer.

            "Or maybe it's Maribelle! She did just join back up with us not too long ago! Maybe they have something really important to tell her, and they need to ask a girl to pass the message on! Gosh, I'm glad she and Ricken are alright. Gosh, I can't believe it wasn't just yesterday when Gangrel tried holding her hostage. That rotten dastard! I'd break his teeth if I had the chance!"

            Lissa clenched a fist for a second, making a face that made Vaike jump as he walked by and noticed the vicious gleam in her eyes. Thinking it better than to ask what was making her so angry, in case the answer turned out to be him, he held his tongue and moved a little further away while the little healer decided whether she'd obliterate her friend's captor with lightning or personally smash his teeth in with an axe. Unfortunately, she could only do this for so long before reality recalled to her that she was supposed to be going to see her brother and Robin, and that she maybe shouldn't keep them waiting much longer.

            Nerving herself up, she picked up her feet and marched the rest of the way over to the Tactician's tent before her nerves caught up with her and froze her to the ground. She had just recovered her nerves and reached for the tent flap when it was pulled away from her hands, and she was met by her brother's kindly smiling face.

            "Ah, Lissa! You came! I was just about to go looking for you. Won't you come inside?"

            Lissa gulped, and nodded. "O-of course! Sure! Just... lead the way!" She could feel her smile crack a bit.

            Following her brother into the tent, Lissa tried thinking every happy thought that would come to her, as she walked past the stacks of tomes and scrolls Robin had borrowed from the royal library and over to the low table where he himself was leaning over the map she'd also seen him poring over before the last battle. As she came closer, he looked up and smiled... the exact same gentle smile her brother had given her moments ago. It was growing hard not to feel like the tent walls were closing in on her.

            "Oh, Lissa! You're here! Excellent! Please, sit down, make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea? Chrom, maybe you should open the window flaps open further and let some fresh air in."

            "Oh, um, thank you. S-sure I'll have some tea! It's just fine in here, though, don't worry about the air in for my sake. Bleh. I mean, don't worry about letting in the air for my sake... But... Oh, okay..." Chrom apparently hadn't heard her and was tying the window flaps up higher. And if Robin had heard her saying anything past 'tea', he wasn't showing it, and was instead busying himself with carefully, possibly too carefully, pouring hot tea into clay cups. Did he put that much concentration into everything he did?

            As Chrom walked past her to the other window flap, Lissa's attention drifted down to the map in front of her. She noticed it was covered in scrawled notes along with a profusion of swooping arrows and x marks drawn in several colours of ink. What was Robin up to, here?

            "Would you like milk? Honey? Sugar?"

            "Huh?"

            Robin was setting the three cups down on the table.

            "Would you like milk, honey, or sugar in your tea, Lissa?"

            "Oh, um, sure! I'll take a lot of milk and just as much honey, actually."

            "Fantastic. One second."

            He picked up a cup and carried it over to a pile of crates, one of which was labelled 'Ice'. While he busied himself around it, Chrom sat down behind the table and crossed his arms. She couldn't help noticing the way his eyebrows were visibly trying not to furl despite the calm smile which was looking more forced by the second. Finally, Robin came back over with her tea and settled in himself. His expression was like a mirror of Chrom's, except unlike her brother the tactician was nibbling at his lip.

            "So how is the tea? Good? More honey?"

            Lissa took a sip. The tea was actually perfect, so sweet she almost couldn't taste the original flavour. For a second she almost forgot why she was here.

            "Oh! It's actually great, thanks! This is perfect."

            "Excellent! I noticed you tend to like your tea on the sweeter side, but I wasn't sure if I'd made it quite sweet enough."

            Chrom broke in with a laugh. "Haha! That's just like you! Questioning yourself when we all know you've done a perfectly good job of things."

            Robin actually looked slightly embarrassed, scratching the back of his hair while he replied.

            "Well I can't be sure until I've actually done it! All the observation and strategizing in the world can only prepare you so well for the real thing!"

            "That's as may be, but there's a reason you're our strategist! You notice all the things I would miss. You're practically an oracle with how well your preparation always goes."

            “Um…”

            "Pfft. I'm hardly an oracle. I just strive to do my best with my pre-battle strategies so I can keep you all from getting hurt."

            “Um…!”

            "Well you certainly do an amazing job of it! We owe our lives to how well you help us prepare for each battle!"

            "Um... Am I getting kicked out of the Shepherds?"

            The room froze. Almost audibly froze. If Ricken had been practicing magic outside and accidentally used Blizzard on the tent, it couldn't be more frozen (though it would be a lot chillier). And both Robin's and Chrom's eyes had gone very wide like they'd seen a Risen suddenly appear outside the tent. Slowly their eyes moved to meet each other as a wordless look of panic spread across their faces. When they finally spoke, it was almost at the same time, each valiantly trying to sound calm and failing horribly.

            "Kicked out?! We could never do that to you! You're too essential to the pl- I mean, you mean far too much to us for such a thing to ever happen!"

            "Lissa, my dearest sister, that's absolutely ridiculous. No one gets kicked out of the shepherds just because they're too delicate or under-leveled."

            "I am WHAT?!"

            The sudden shriek of outrage was loud enough to be heard throughout the camp, causing multiple heads to glance with misgiving towards the tent.

            "How dare you, Chrom?! I put up with you calling me your delicate little sister all the time, even though I work just as hard as anyone else! There's been a ton of battles you wouldn't have survived without me! Same goes for everyone else! While everyone is going out fighting battles and gaining experience, I'm supporting you from behind, running to and fro to keep you all alive!"

            As Lissa stopped for half a second to catch her breath, Robin took the opportunity to mutter his own thoughts on the subject at hand.

            "Well that was supposed to be better worded. And also a lot better timed. No helping things now, though."

            Of course, this prompted the outraged young woman to round from her brother to the equally unlucky tactician, hurt and betrayal starting to show above the wrath in her eyes.

            "You don't agree with him do you, Robin?! If you're going to say I'm too delicate to fight in this army too after all we've been through together... by the Gods, I'll... I'll... I'll tell Emmeryn AND Frederick on both of you! And... And I might just leave of my own free will!"

            "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second!"

            Holding a hand out, Robin lowered his head and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand before sitting up straight and looking Lissa in the eyes.

            "Look, first of all, you're really not getting kicked out of the army, and I'm terribly sorry if I gave that impression. I'm also sorry for getting you so worked up. We could maybe have been a little less ominous with our summons. However..."

            "However?!"

            Robin took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before going on.

            "However, much as I-we love you, we do have a very serious problem that we do need to discuss with you sooner than later. We've been reviewing our last battle, and Chrom and I have been reaching the conclusion that, as mentioned, yes, you are currently under-leveled compared to the rest of the team, and also to the enemies we're now encountering. Although I might not have necessarily brought the question of whether or not you're overly delicate into the picture..."

            "Excuse me! I am NOT delicate! And if you're going to insinuate that I am, I'm leaving!"

            Robin sighed.

            "You're right, I'm sorry. Chrom's brotherly feelings aside, you're not actually terribly squishy. Even as the thought might fill me with great unease, you've been able to take a hit a time or two, without coming out too much the worse for it. And you've got a surprising amount of arm strength, which would make you a good choice for a war cleric when you're experienced enough to promote."

            "You're saying I could cut people's heads off with an axe?!"

            Chrom looked visibly startled at his sister's cheerily blood-thirsty tones.

            "Well in theory, yes, but wouldn't you rather be a Sage like Emmeryn, Lissa? I mean... you could learn to use magic instead of getting your hands dirty with an axe!"

            Unfortunately, the suggestion of magic did nothing to diminish his sister's aggressive fantasies.

            "Ooooh! I could learn magic and roast people alive with fireballs! Or I could zap anyone who's mean to me with lightning!"

            "U-um, right. Yes, I suppose there is that too..."

            Robin interrupted the brother and sister with a pointed cough.

            "Much as I hate to disrupt the levity our conference is developing, we have a very important matter at hand which we cannot afford to put off. Lissa, as I've just mentioned, you are actually a surprisingly strong young woman. Not exactly tank-y, but in times past when someone managed to penetrate our front lines, you've been able to take a hit or two and be okay. However, our enemies' level growth has been significantly faster than yours. The weakest enemies we faced during our last battle were four levels ahead of you, and it would be the height of foolishness to think Gangrel isn't going to send progressively stronger foes at us, foes that we ourselves must be strong enough to conquer and destroy. Next battle their total level advantage might not be four, but five or six! Even seven! Meanwhile you only gained a. single. level. during that previous battle, and if this is not rectified in the very immediate future, anyone who slips past our vanguard would likely be able to strike you down with a single blow! An event that would be devastating to everyone present, not to mention the whole kingdom at large!"

            At some point during his rant, Robin had risen from the seat. Leaning forward across the table, stabbing a finger into the map underneath him for further emphasis, his chest heaved a little, his long hair falling across his face. His deeply furrowed eyebrows and flashing eyes radiated the surge of urgent tension balled up inside him. Both Chrom and Lissa sat in silence for a minute, the fresh gravity of the situation leaving them both feeling very sobered, and Lissa in particular feeling infected by the Tactician's panic. It took a few moments and a gulp of air before she felt able to reply.

            "S-so what do I do?!"

            “Well therein is the question. As it is now, we have Kellam on a scouting mission to find out how tough the enemies are…” Robin was momentarily overcome by the urge to snort. “I feel a little terrible about taking advantage of Kellam’s unique… situation, but by magic or a miracle of Naga, the little man can walk around in a full suit of armour and somehow be stealthier than both Gaius and Panne on a moonless night. However, unless the next bunch of Plegians are barely stronger than the last guys we fought, or we suddenly bump into the Risen again, we’re either going to have to stick to a formation that keeps you effectively walled-in, so you can heal without any risk of getting hurt, or…”

            “Or?”

            “Or we put you on the bench.”

            “WHAT?! You can’t put me on the bench! That’s almost as bad as kicking me out! There’s basically no opportunity for getting more experience if I can’t participate in battle! And I don’t WANT to be a bench-warmer! I-I would die!”

            Chrom did not entirely agree with her.

            “You would not die, Lissa. You’re being over-dramatic.”

            But Lissa would not be so easily checked. Flinging herself backwards and propping herself up with her arms, she gave full voice to her despair.

            “I WOULD DIE! It would kill me if I couldn’t experience the thrill of the fighting in person! Watching everything from the sidelines is so DULL! There would be no excitement, no joy or sunshine or happiness left in this cruel world if I was left to languish on the bench!”

            Lissa threw herself forward, bracing her hands on the table, and began to tear up a little as she pleaded for her life.

            “Please, Robin! I’ll do anything! There must be some way, some thing I can do to stay in the fight! You don’t want me to die, do you?!”

            “Well…”

            “Yes?!”

            “I suppose the only thing for it is to train and make up for the experience you didn’t gain from the last battle.”

            Chrom stood up, interrupting their exchange.

            “Would anyone like tea? I’ll get some more tea.”

            “Oh, thank you, Chrom. I won’t say no to more tea.”

            “No thanks, Chrom. I’m fine.”

            “Alright. So, two cups of tea then.”

            As Chrom grabbed Robin’s cup and walked over to the kettle, Lissa rejoined in full swing.

            “How am I supposed to train, though?! Unless a bunch of Risen pop up from out of nowhere or Chrom chops his leg off, no one’s going to suffer any injuries serious enough to need healing.”

            “I don’t know! Find something! It doesn’t have to be serious! Like, much as I might ordinarily call it a horrendously wasteful use of a staff, go find out if Sumia’s stubbed any toes today, or see if Maribelle has chipped a nail! They’re insignificant little things, but they probably count towards healing experience.”

            “That’s it?! That’s what you call training?! Healing burnt fingers and scraped knees?!”

            As if on cue, Chrom bit back an oath.

            “Da- Oh, gods, that’s hot!”

            Almost as one, Robin and Lissa’s head swiveled around to take in the sight of Chrom sucking a finger, a spilled cup of tea lying at his feet.

            “Oh, Chrom, you shouldn’t space out when… you’re…”

            In the space it took to breathe, Lissa jumped up on to her feet, eyes gleaming with newly gained determination.

            “You know what?! Forget what I just said, healing burnt fingers and scraped knees is a perfectly good way to train. Stay right there, Chrom! I’ll be back in five seconds with my staff!”

            As the incorrigible little healer bolted from the tent, Robin gave his friend a side-long glance.

            “Chrom, you didn’t overfill the tea cup on purpose, did you?”

            Chrom pulled his scalded finger out of his mouth and laughed.

            “Ha ha, what, me? Of course not. That was entirely coincidence, Robin. Don’t look at me like that.”

            “HEAL!!!”

            Lissa burst back into the tent with all the furious speed of a thousand pegasi, holding aloft her staff which filled the tent with a green light as she cast her spell. Like magic, the redness of Chrom’s scalded finger disappeared, and he held it up to examine it in a new light.

            “Wow, good as new. I guess your plan really will work.”

            “Level up! Woo!”

            As a fresh glow arose momentarily through Lissa’s being, Robin subjected her to a critical stare.

            “So you have. It seems you were a lot closer than I thought. And it looks like your physical resilience has improved.”

            “Awesome! Does this mean I can fight?!”

            “No.”

            “WHAT?!”

            Lissa’s screech caused both men to flinch.

            “That was something, but it’s still not enough. You’re a little less squishy now, but we need to be prepared for what’s coming next. If our enemies are more than five levels above you, which some are bound to be, there’s still a significant risk of you going down in one hit.”

            Lissa slammed her staff onto the table, leaning over it so there was barely a foot of space between Robin’s face and her own.

            “Okay, then how about this. I go back out right now and find enough tiny ailments to level up again. Then. Would you let me stay in the party?”

            Robin held her gaze for a few seconds, Chrom hovering nervously in the background, before giving a response.

            “I’ll do one further. If you can gain one more level before day’s end, you can stay in the party, and, we’ll promote you to an advanced class.”

            “REALLY?! YES! Thank you so much, Robin! You won’t regret this!”

            Impulsively flinging herself forward, Lissa kissed Robin's cheek and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Then just as quickly she leaped back, grabbed her staff, and rushed out to find Sumia, who was sure to have stubbed a toe by now.


	2. Tea Is Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sight of Chrom's burnt finger having filled her with determination, Lissa's quest continues! A hungry Stahl falls victim to her hard-headed charms, and makes for great healing exp fodder. Sumia and Cordelia have tea and helpful ideas.

Lissa came flying out of the tactician's tent like a wyvern chasing down its prey, her mind bent on a single objective: find Sumia. If anyone needed her help, it would be her. Unfortunately, she was so focused on looking for Sumia that she didn't see Stahl until it was too late. She ran straight into him and collided head on with so much force that they were both flung backwards off their feet. Lissa escaped with landing on her butt, but Stahl himself was laid out on the grass, his head colliding painfully with a tent peg. Miraculously, however, he'd managed to keep hold of the sandwich in his hand and the slice of ham in his mouth. There was collective moaning and rubbing of wounds for a moment before Lissa realized what happened and bounced back from the ground with a squeak.

            "Stahl! Oh, crap! Are you alright?"

            Sparing no more time, the chagrined healer crawled over and pulled him up.

            "Stahl! Are you okay?! Talk to me!"

            From behind the ham came a quiet "Owww...".

            "Stahhhhhlllllll! Come back to me! This can't be the end! Not here! I could never forgive myself for this!"

            Again from behind the ham came another "Owwww...".

            "Wait! I can hear something! But this ham is in the way. Let me just..."

            Lissa tried pulling the ham out of Stahl's mouth, only to find it was firmly lodged between his teeth. More forceful tugging was equally unsuccessful.

            "Okay, can you let go of the ham for two seconds? Just tell me you're okay!"

            "But... ham..."

            "Seriously? Listen, guy, I know food is important you, but... Wait. I know what to do!"

            Whipping her staff out, Lissa held it up into the air and shouted her spell.

            "Heal!"

            The staff lit up and engulfed Stahl in green light. He was momentarily invisible. Then the light disappeared, revealing Stahl, still sprawled on his back, still holding ham and sandwich. But the ham was twitching in a way that might indicate clandestine chewing. Losing her patience, Lissa stood up and kicked Stahl in the ribs. "Get up, lazybones!"

            With a yelp, Stahl sat up and rubbed his side with a free hand for a second before finally pulling the half-eaten ham out of his mouth.

            "Owww. That hurt, Lissa."

            "I don't care, lazybones. It's my duty as a healer to get a verbal statement from you that you're okay!"

            "Well I'm pretty sure that tent peg my head ran into gave me a concussion, but my head feels... alright? I think that heal staff did the trick. But now..."

            "But now?!"

            "But now I think my ribs are bruised from you kicking me."

            Stahl found himself treated to a deadpan stare of disbelief. "I'm sorry... What?"

            "Well you kicked me really hard, and your shoes are made of solid stuff."

            "But you're a big strong cavalier! How do you get a bruise from something like that when you're supposed to be taking hits left, right, and centre when you're in the fray?! Just this last battle I saw you throw yourself in front of Sully and take a hit that had to have hurt WAY more than that, and you just shrugged it off like it was nothing!"

            "Did I? I don't know, I do a lot of things in battle that I don't really remember later?"

            "Gosh, how does a lunk-head like you survive on the battlefield? Anyways, fine, fine, I get it. I kicked you, your ribs hurt, but your head's doing better now. Is that about right?"

            Stahl nodded his affirmation. "Yep. That's about right."

            "Okay, let's just take care of that then. Trivial injuries and all that... HEAL!"

            Once again, the light from Lissa's staff consumed the injured cavalier, soothing his wounds and comforting his weariness.

            "How's that? All better?"

            "Yeah, thanks! Everything's good for the most part."

            There was a sudden silence in the air.

            "I-I'm sorry, what do you mean 'for the most part'?"

            "Well my stomach kinda hurts..."

            As if on cue, Stahl's stomach growled, as if to validate the sheepish cavalier's statement.

            "Stahl."

            "Yes, Lissa?"

            "I am going to operate on your previous statement that you are a-o-kay. A thousand clerics could try healing the hole in your stomach, and it would still be grumbling. I'm now going to go track down Sumia, because she's probably tripped over her feet a dozen times today already and is in dire need of my services. Now if you'll excuse me..."

            "Actually, Sumia hasn't tripped today."

            Lissa froze in the middle of standing up, her eyes suddenly wide with mild shock.

            "Sumia's what?!"

            "Yeah! I was talking to her a few minutes ago at the horse corral, and she was telling me about how today was the best day of her life."

            "You're kidding!"

            "Nope! I found it pretty amazing too, but she sounded really excited about it."

            "Okay, I really have to check this out for myself! I'll see you later, Stahl!"

            As the viridian knight resumed the chewing of his ham while waving goodbye, Lissa tore off for the horse corral, a mixture of burning curiousity and mild panic propelling her forward at new speeds.

 

            Lissa was still in disbelief as she neared the horse pen, home to horses and pegasi alike. Sumia hadn't tripped? At all? Was someone impersonating her? Was the world about to end? Had she inhaled some magical fairy dust from the flowers she was always picking? What kind of flowers did she pick that might have fairies visit them? Was Frederick really just being mean when he said fairies didn't exist? But how did Frederick know about fairies anyways? Everyone knew you'd never get to see them if you went in with a mindset that said they didn't exist to begin with.

            She was just in the middle of contemplating the foolishness of Frederick's cynicism when her thoughts were interrupted by a cheery greeting

            "Hello, Lissa! Why such a hurry?"

            Lissa looked up to see the voice belonged to Cordelia, who was waving cordially at her from the horse corral, which she probably would have run into in a minute if she hadn't just been pulled out of her head.

            "Oh! Hey, Cordelia! Have you seen Sumia around?!"

            "Sumia? Why yes, we were just brushing the pegasi down together, and we were about to sit down to some tea! Would you care to join us?"

            "I would love to! But um... I'm afraid I don't really have time right now."

            "Oh, how come? Are you certain you can't take twenty minutes off from whatever you're doing?"

            "Well.... Maybe. I've come to see Sumia anyways, so I guess I can sit down for a few minutes..."

            "Wonderful! Let's go find Sumia and let her know you'll be joining us."

            Lissa hopped the fence and joined Cordelia as she strolled across the horse pasture towards the tent on the other side that was set up beside the canvas and wood structure that served as a portable horse-pen in rainy weather.

            "So what do you need to see Sumia about, if you don't mind me asking?"

            "Oh, it's okay. See, I'm on a mission to heal as many small injuries as I can today so I can level up and keep Chrom and Robin from throwing me out of the army, and I figured Sumia would be a prime candidate for healing tiny injuries. Although I ran into Stahl on the way here, actually I literally ran into him..." Lissa laughed a little with embarrassment. "And he told me Sumia hadn't tripped or stubbed her toes at all today."

            "Oh wow! I'm surprised Chrom would actually make you leave the shepherds like that! I always figured you two were so close."

            "Well... He's not really going to kick me out. But he and Robin WILL put me on the bench! And that's almost as bad! Vaike and Miriel haven't seen a single battle since they got benched, and I can't see that ever changing! So I have to start throwing myself forward and finding people to heal at every opportunity, on and off the battlefield, until I'm a high enough level that I am a pillar of the Shepherd's vanguard instead of just a rear-guard healer!"

            "Ahhhh! I see now. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's actually true that Sumia hasn't tripped even once! It's amazing, really! Actually, can you keep a secret?"

            Lissa was all ears.

            "Of course I can!"

            Cordelia dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

            "Well it feels mean to say it out loud, but I've actually got a bet going with Stahl on how long she can keep this lucky streak going."

            "Ahahaha! Oh my gosh, that's so mean! But I totally get it. What did you bet?"

            "Keep your voice down, Lissa! She might here us. And we didn't bet anything in specific. More like the loser has to do anything the winner asks."

            "Seriously? Aaaaanything?"

            Lissa's sly grin brought a blush to Cordelia's cheeks.

            "Lissa! And... um... Maybe not Anything exactly... Um, oh dear, I hope Stahl doesn't start thinking along similar lines. Um..."

            "And what are you two whispering about so secretively?"

            As they had been chatting, Lissa and Cordelia had made their way across the corral, and Sumia, apparently noticing their arrival, had come out to greet them. Startled, the two of them jumped apart, and looked at her a little sheepishly. Cordelia was the first to answer.

            "Oh, it's nothing really, ha ha. I was just... Talking to Lissa about something Chrom said. It's really nothing to concern yourself with..."

            Sumia giggled at her friend's fresh blushing.

            "Oh, Cordelia. It's so cute the way you crush on him. So what did he say?"

            Noting her friend's increasingly flustered expression, Lissa decided to step in before Cordelia really started digging herself into a hole. Effectively intercepting the question, she moved to pull the conversation away from the details of what it was Chrom hadn't actually said, and possible exposure of something that might hurt Sumia's feelings.

            "You know how it is, Sumia. Chrom just happened to say something nice about Cordelia, and I was sharing it between girls. It's really nothing."

            Sumia's eyes narrowed with amused suspicion. But whether she believed their ruse, or simply decided that her friends were allowed to have their secrets, she decided to allow it to rest.

            "Oh, you two. So will you be joining us for tea, Lissa?"

            "Yes, please! I actually ran into Cordelia on my way here to find you, and she invited me to join!"

            "Perfect! Well come inside and sit down! The tea is hot, and I've been looking forward to this!"

            Lissa and Cordelia followed her into the sparsely furnished tent that was mostly used for conferences related to horse matters and breaks after horse chores had been taken care of. The teapot, two cups, and a plate of biscuits were already sitting on a small table that sat on a rug spread on the ground along with two cushions. Sumia snatched up another cushion and laid it by the table for Lissa, then walked over to the shelves to grab another tea cup. Then, setting it on the table, she picked up the teapot and poured out a measure of the steaming brew for each of them. Finally she plopped herself on to her cushion with an audible sigh.

            "Ah, it's nice to get off my feet for a little bit."

            It was Cordelia who pointed out that the table was missing something.

            "I definitely understand that feeling. But Sumia, where's the milk and sugar?"

            "Oh! Horse plop! How could I forget them?! Cordelia, would you mind grabbing those for me?"

            Lissa had been making herself comfortable on the cushion, but at this she hopped up before Cordelia could move from her seat.

            "Don't worry about it, guys! I've got this!"

            "Oh, Lissa! I can get this, you don't need to worry yourself!"

            "No no! It's fine! I've basically already got it."

            Rummaging around inside the ice crate, she pulled out the ceramic milk jug, then pulled the sugar and honey containers out of the crate beside it before carrying them back to the table and setting them down.

            "Here you go! We're not missing anything else, are we?"

            "Oh no! That's definitely everything. Gosh, I can't believe I messed that up... Oh well, please, sit down, Lissa! Allow me to get your tea for you. What would you like in it?"

            Accepting Sumia's offer gracefully, Lissa spread her skirts and carefully sat down again on her cushion as she replied.

            "Oh, I'll take a heaping helping of tea and sugar, please! Nice and milky and super sweet just hits the spot!"

            Cordelia chuckled. "Oh, Lissa. That's adorable. Though aren't you missing the original flavour of the tea that way?"

            "Oh, shush, Cordelia. She's allowed to drink her tea however she likes. Here you go, Lissa! Is this sweet enough for you?"

            Lissa took a sip and gasped.

            "I'm sorry, did you say sweet enough? It tastes like you dumped half the sugar pot in! But yes, actually, this tastes delicious! Although..."

            She took another sip while squinting in concentration.

            "This actually tastes really different than the stuff Chrom and Robin make! What is it?! It tastes... Apple-y!"

            Sumia's smile was just a little smug. "That's because this isn't normal tea. It's my favorite blend, Vermillion Apple Spice! I always keep a stash of this stuff with me wherever I go."

            "Oh my gosh! Where has this been all my life? And how do you not run out of it all the time? I would drink this stuff every day if I could! Oh, it's so good!"

            "Hee hee! I'm so glad you like it! I can take you with me next time I go to get more if you'd like."

            Cordelia jutted in, teasingly warning her friend.

            "Careful, Sumia! You don't want to give away your secret, do you? Next thing you know all the girls around camp will be drinking it, then Anna will get the idea that it's popular and buy up the suppliers, and the price will skyrocket overnight!"

            Sumia giggled a little at the thought.

            "Oh, I'm not worried! Though that is actually really funny to think about. But even if that gloomy prediction of yours does come true, I've already been getting it on a discount because the nice old lady who runs the shop says I'm her favorite customer. Other people might not be able to afford it, but I'm sure I could keep getting it at the same price."

            Lissa was officially all ears.

            "Oooh! Is it one of those sweet little shops that's quietly existed for ages? You so have to take me! They're always so cute inside, and you never know what you'll find."

            "Right? Ylisstol alone has a ton of little places like that. But I suppose Chrom wouldn't know about them. Frederick might, but he's like a butler with how seriously he takes things, so I guess he wouldn't tell you if he did. We'll have to make a day of it next time we're back in town!"

            Cordelia was just as excited as the other two.

            "If you're doing that, then you can count me in, too. I feel like I haven't gone on a good shopping trip in simply ages! We can make a girls' day of it and see if we can find anything to bring back Chrom or the others."

            Lissa couldn't resist the opportunity to tease as she reached for a tea biscuit.

            "Oh? Are you sure you wouldn't rather just invite Chrom to come back later? I'm sure you'll be able to find a couple tea shops that would be perfect for a date!"

            Cordelia blushed bright red and hastily buried her face in her tea cup for a moment before replying.

            "I... You... I had no such thing on my mind, Lissa! I mean sure, that sounds great..." She stopped for a moment and sighed. "But there's no way he'd accept. I don't even know if I'm his type! Anyways. Lissa, didn't you come here to talk to Sumia?"

            "Oh right! But before that, Sumia! Is it true you haven't tripped at all today? Stahl told me that was true, but I could barely believe it!"

            It was Sumia's time to blush a little bit. "Oh, goodness. It seems word's really getting around. But yes! It's true! I don't know how I've managed to do so well, but I haven't tripped a single time today actually! Actually, I think it hasn't happened since yesterday before dinner last night!"

            "Wooow! Did something happen?"

            "Well, I'm not sure. But I think I caught Frederick looking at me, and... I don't know... Something about his expression made me really happy!"

            "Why, Sumia! That's so cute! Do you think he's in love with you? Do you think you love him?"

            "I... I might... It feels like I've been walking on air a little since then."

            "I wonder if he'll confess to you soon?"

            "Um, I guess anything is possible! I'm not sure what he would see in me, but it could happen, I guess. But anyways, Lissa, is that really all you wanted to talk to me about?"

            Lissa couldn't hide the mixed feelings behind her face.

            "Well actually, it's not, but I suppose it's kinda pointless now."

            "Oh? Why is that?"

            "Well, you see, I've been tasked with healing as many tiny injuries as I can today, so I can level up again. Chrom and Robin are saying I'm getting too weak, and they'll bench me if I don't make my goal! And I actually managed to heal two injuries for Stahl on the way here, but I was so sure you could use my help today, since you're always tripping over things! But now I get here, and I find out you haven't tripped or done anything clumsy today at all!" Realizing how that statement sounded, Lissa hastily amended herself before Sumia could feel hurt. "W-which is awesome by the way! It's really super cool that you haven't even tripped once! But, like, I guess I'm a little desperate here, and now I have to figure out what I'm going to do next..."

            There was silence for a moment while the two other girls appreciated the gravity of Lissa's quest, before Sumia responded.

            "Oh, Lissa. It's very sweet of you to think of me. It's okay. I know how clumsy I am, and if it could actually help someone for a change, I think I'd love that. But don't worry, you've got the two of us here now, and I'm sure we can think of something. Right, Cordelia?"

            "Of course! You know we're both here for you, Lissa! That's what friends are for!"

            Sumia resumed talking.

            "My gosh, poor Stahl, though! How did he get two injuries that needed healing?"

            Lissa giggled a little self-consciously.

            "Well... You see, it was actually kinda my doing. I ran into him on my way to find you and bowled him over, aaaand he kinda hit his head on a tent peg... But I healed that up for him, but he was just lying there, chewing on a stupid piece of ham! So I kicked him in the ribs! That made him sit up properly, but then he was complaining about that, so I decided I'd be nice to him and heal that up too. Of course, when I asked him if anything else hurt, he mentioned his stomach felt kinda empty..."

            Cordelia interjected with mild disgust.

            "Oh my gosh! How does he even eat so much? I would put on so much weight if I ate half of what he did! I swear he's always got a sandwich or a slice of ham or something whenever I see him. Although... wait, I have an idea! Sumia, weren't you commenting that one of the pegasi was limping slightly?"

            "Oh my gosh! You're right! The poor thing must have stepped on a sharp pebble or something after the last battle, because he doesn't seem to be injured, but there was a touch of crusted blood. Lissa, I bet you could patch him up with that staff of yours!"

            Lissa was not fully convinced.

            "A pegasi? I guess it could work... But don't we normally just use these staves to heal people?"

            Cordelia and Sumia looked blankly back at her, with the former overcoming her disbelief first to question Lissa's shocking ignorance.

            "Um, Lissa. What do you think happens to us on the battlefield? Our pegasi face getting injured just as much as we do."

            Sumia spoke up in contribution. "Not to mention we have Panne with us too. You've healed her before, right? Why would you be able to use the staves on her and not the horses?"

            Lissa considered this.

            "Hmmm, well Panne is a person like us, even if she's not human. And I can heal her just fine even when she's in her giant bunny form, so... I guess you have a point. What's good for a human could be just as good for a pegasus here, I suppose."

            Sumia smiled encouragingly.

            "See? Gosh, normally I baby my pegasus when I'm not riding her into battle, but even I can't help feeling it's a bit wasteful to just use a staff for something like this. But if you're under orders to go around healing all the petty injuries you can find, a pegasus should do just as well as a person, right?"

            As the idea grew on her, Lissa drained the rest of her tea in one go and leaped to her feet.

            "You're absolutely right! Let's try it! Show me to your pegasi and I shall work miracles!"

            Cordelia giggled. "Looks like you're all fired up, now, Lissa. I suppose we shouldn't keep you waiting then. Sumia, would you help us find that pegasus again?"

            "Of course I will! I want to see Lissa's miracle for myself."

            "Great! Off to the horse paddock we go!"

 

            A little less than a minute later, the three girls were standing around the pegasus in question, which was busy munching grass while Sumia lifted up its hoof.

            "As you can see, it's not much, but there's a bit of crusted blood in there that still looks reasonably fresh. The poor thing still seems to be just fine, but that just means the injury isn't serious. I'm pretty sure he's still favoring that hoof slightly. So, are you ready to work your magic, Lissa?"

            "You betcha! HEA-!"

            "Stop!"

            As Sumia threw her hand out and cut Lissa off mid-heal, the Pegasus swung its head up and knickered warily.

            "One moment, please. Equines get scared easily, and this one in particular has always been a bit jumpy. If you could hold on a second, I'd like to make sure he doesn't go running off on us when you use your spell." She turned back to the pegasus and started stroking his nose. "We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself again, would we? Especially if you start pushing against your wing restraints."

            The pegasus snorted at her suspiciously but did seem to calm down. At Sumia's gesture, Cordelia walked around and took hold of the other side of its bridle while digging her feet into the ground. Sumia herself also grabbed on to the bridle and the rope tied around its wings, before nodding to Lissa.

            "Okay, go!"

            She didn't need to say it twice. With all the energy of a pent-up teenager, Lissa thrust her staff into the sky and shouted out her spell.

            "HEAL!"

            Lissa's yelling, accompanied by the bright green glow that erupted around the pegasus caused it to squeal and rear up, kicking out with its front legs, but the two girls holding it knew exactly what they were doing. In a few minutes, after much neighing and struggling from the pegasus, and shushing and patting from Sumia and Cordelia, everything had calmed down, and Sumia felt confident enough to let go and lift up its foot again. This time around there was no dried blood to be seen.

            "Looks like it worked! Everything's right as rain now!"

            "Hooray! And more healing experience for me! Thank you so much, you two! This was a great idea!"

            Sumia was all smiles.

            "Aww, thanks, Lissa! I'm just glad I could help."

            Cordelia joined in.

            "We both are. And I'm glad this big guy is feeling better now, too. So, will you come back to the tent with us and have another cup?"

            "Ooooh! I'm not sure. I'd like to try and find more people to heal while there's still a lot of time left in the day, but Sumia's apple tea is so good! Oh man, this is a toughie."

            Sumia giggled at her indecision.

            "It's okay. You can always join us again for tea some other time. We can't have you getting stuck on the bench."

            Cordelia chimed in with her agreement.

            "Mmhmm! I always fight harder knowing you're out there doing your best for us! We couldn't do it without you, Lissa."

            "Awww, you guys." Lissa sniffed away a happy tear for a moment before continuing. "You know, it's really nice to hear that. I guess my brother could learn a thing or two about not always being a downer."

            Sumia walked closer and gave her a friendly squeeze. "It's okay. He just doesn't understand the delicacy of a girl's heart. But we appreciate you, and we're always here for you if you need help."

            "Thanks, Sumia. You're the best."

            "So where are you off to next?"

            Cordelia's question caught Lissa unprepared.

            "Ummmm... I don't think I know actually... You guys wouldn't happen to have heard about someone cutting their hand open or something would you?"

            Cordelia smiled a little at the question.

            "Ahaha... Um, I don't think so, no. Sorry. But hey, you could check with Anna. She's always got her ear to the ground. Of course, that's usually for business deals, but she might have caught wind of something you could use."

            "Hmmm. That's probably a good idea then. Alright, thanks for the tea Sumia, Cordelia! We will definitely need to do this again soon. I'm going to go find Anna! See you guys later!"

            The two girls waved after Lissa as she trotted off back into the forest of tents that was the Shepherd's camp.

            Sumia sighed. "She's so cute when she's enthusiastic. I really hope Anna can help her out."

            "Oh, you know how Lissa is. She's actually got a lot of drive behind her determination. Chrom might underestimate her because they're brother and sister, but I think she'll be just fine. Can you actually imagine Lissa staying quietly on the sidelines?"

            Cordelia shuddered. "Oh, Gods. We'd come back from battle and there would be frogs in everyone's tents."

            "Hehehe that's not even what I was talking about, but you're right. I don't want to think about how much pranking Lissa would get up to from all that boredom."

            "You know, after we get the tea things put away, we'll have finished all our chores until dinner time. I was going to spend the afternoon training, but I have the urge now to wander around camp and do some socializing."

            Sumia slyly glanced at her. "And maybe see if anyone's stubbed a toe or cut themselves sharpening their weapons today?"

            Cordelia grinned back. "Well, yes. I'm sure Lissa will be just fine, but I kinda want to help and make sure she'll be alright. Don't you think girls should look after each other at times like this?"

            "I was thinking the same thing actually. I'd be sad if I couldn't look forward to her support. Well how about we get that tent cleaned up, then, shall we?"

            "I agree. Let's get to it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was just supposed to be a one shot, I swear. But then the intro took up a whole chapter. And by the time I got to the tea I knew there was no way I was going to wrap this up in one more chapter. I'm actually quite proud of how the conversing went, though. Also, Microsoft Word needs to learn that indecisive speech patterns are part of normal conversation, especially with girls. Gosh, AI is supposed to be the next big thing, but its future doesn't look too bright if it can't even figure out how to talk like real people.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Kudos and comments are most welcome! And please look forward to the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lissa's quest to gain experience by healing the Shepherds' trivial injuries has brought her all the way to Anna's tent, where things go hilariously awry, minor lessons in economics are given, but progress is ultimately made!

Chapter 3

 

 

            "Anna! Hey, Anna! Yoohoo!"

            As if cast from an Elwind tome, Lissa burst into the open front of Anna's tent which doubled as a shop. But while there were a lot of piles of things she recognized, and a few she didn't, it was immediately clear that the red-headed merchant herself was nowhere to be seen. She glared at the room, as if it was somehow to blame for its lack of occupants. Just when she was getting on a roll here, it looked like Anna was out. Unless she was inside the tent's private section, she'd have to either wait for her to come back or go track down some other hapless waif in need of her services.

            "Annnnaaaaaa! Are you in here? Please say you're in here...!"

            She walked a few feet more, then stopped and stared at the ceiling, faintly hoping maybe she'd see Anna up there. She did not. But she did see a tome that was wrapped with ropes and dangling from the ceiling canopy a good measure above her reach. Lissa quirked an eyebrow. This was weird. Mind you, Anna herself had a reputation for being a little off-beat, but this was weird even for her.

            "Why would Anna tie up a tome and leave it dangling from the canopy? Hmm... I might just be able to reach it if..."

            Pulling her staff out, she stood on tip-toe and strained upwards to reach it, hoping Naga might bless her with a spontaneous growth spurt and make this easier. Growling with concentration, she managed to just catch it with the tip of her staff, which caused the tome to erupt with a shower of glittering sparks that cascaded down around her and made Lissa jump back with a yelp. "Wait, what? Oh no, what did I do? I didn't break it, did I?"

            As Lissa backed away, eyes wide with panic, the sparks coalesced into the glowing image of Anna and started to talk.

            "Ricken, you little shit, I have you now! Don't think you can escape me this time! You might think of running, but I promise you it's far too late for that! I'm just around the corner and heading back here as we speak. And even if you make a break for it, this projection will follow you for the next half an hour unless I tell it she's been a good girl and can stand down!"

            Lissa eyes were only getting wider, and her voice came out in a squeak. "What? But Anna, it's me! Lissa! Not Ricken! Ricken isn't even here!"

            The glowing Anna narrowed its eyes in suspicion and leaned forward in a manner that said she wasn't listening.

            "Oh, don't think you can fool me that easily, Ricken! You can deny your existence all you want, but that doesn't even make you a good philosopher, let alone a good liar! Only you would try to disturb this tome and discover the secrets borne within! But worry not, I'll be here in just a minute, and then you can answer for your crimes!"

            Then Anna's voice wasn't coming from in front of her, but behind her. "Aha! I have you now Rick... Lissa?! What are you doing here?!"

            Lissa spun around in bewilderment to see the Anna they all knew and loved, or at least an Anna that looked exactly like the Anna they all knew and loved, down to the jester-like costume that helped distinguish her from most of the other red-haired traveling merchants who could be found nearly anywhere something could be sold. The sight of her comfortingly solid and non-glowy looking self caused her befuddled brain to open up the dam gate and let the built-up pressure of entangled thoughts spill out of her gaping mouth and hopefully straighten themselves out in mid-air.

            "Anna?! Why do you have a sister who glows?! Why is she calling me Ricken when Ricken isn't here?! And why is she threatening to murder me in my sleep with an axe?! And why is she so angry when I haven't done anything except poke a tome with a staff?! That's not so bad is it, right?! I mean, sometimes Chrom tells me I shouldn't be disturbing other people's things, but I only do that for harmless pranks! And I wasn't even here to prank you, honest!"

            For a second Anna just stood there with eyes staring blankly and mouth open, as her brain worked overtime to understand Lissa's panicked torrent of speech, and a finger slowly reached its way upwards in preparation of delivering an answer. "I'm sorry, Lissa. She's not actually my sister, just a magical projection, and- wait, hold on, she was threatening to murder you with an axe?"

            Lissa was unfortunately still riding a subsiding wave of panic and was just starting to achieve coherency.

            "Um, I think so? Or wait, maybe she didn't? I feel like she did! But, um, I'm actually not sure anymore. I think I just heard that part between the lines, sorry..." She chuckled nervously as Anna processed this new information. The way she was stroking her chin with brows deeply furrowed gave Lissa the impression that she was still having difficulty processing this new information.

            "So... you're saying she accosted you in an aggressive manner, but that no physical violence was actually threatened?"

            "Um, no, I don't think so actually... Sorry..."

            "I see..."

            There was more chin stroking for a moment, then suddenly Anna brightened up.

            "Oh well, then! False alarm, but no harm done! And you did at least give me a good test run. I'm sorry for scaring you, Lissa! I hope you're alright. Oh, and good girl, Magic Anna! You can stand down!"

            Then things got weirder for a second as the glowy Anna disappeared with a peppy salute and a puff of smoke, even as Lissa heard Anna's voice again, but disembodied and slightly out of breath, coming from outside the tent. "Did you catch him, sis?"

            "Nope! It was a false alarm. If he has been by today, he didn't fall for the bait. We did catch Lissa, though, so we can at least consider this a successful test run!"

            Then things began to make more sense, even if they didn't stop being entirely weird, as another Anna, this one in a two-tone white and red tunic and a cute little cloak and cap, rounded the corner of the tent-flap. If her slightly disheveled hair and heavy breathing were any indicator, she'd probably been just a minute behind her sister in racing to the tent.

            "Oh, well that's something at least. At least getting more data on it during Q-and-A phase will help us meet sales predictions when we roll it out for widespread production." Then the second Anna noticed Lissa and perked up. "Oh, hey, Lissa! I heard you talking to Sis just now. Sorry our doppelganger trap scared you a moment ago! I hope you're okay!"

            Lissa didn't quite remember meeting an Anna in clothes like hers, but that didn't mean they hadn't met before. Then again, maybe they actually hadn't. You couldn't always be sure with the traveling merchants who all shared the same name and an uncannily similar appearance. They all insisted they were different people, but the way information seemed to flow between them, it was almost like they all had a shared memory. At any rate, it was probably better to be on the safe side and just assume they'd met before.

            "Oh, um, it's okay. I'm fine now. So why are you guys trying to catch Ricken?"

            The sisters' expressions turned sour, the more familiar Anna in particular looking like she was having a difficult time controlling her temper.

            "Ohhh boy, Lissa. You don't even know! You know what the problem with today's generation is? They're all broke. Flat broke and thinking it's okay to be cheap. And it's not just that they're cheap, but that they try to get around their lowly income by trying to get little somethings for nothing and expecting hard working, independent, friendly neighborhood entrepreneurs like ourselves to put our very life's blood on the line for prices that would make us close up shop within a month!"

            The other Anna joined in while clenching a fist with bitter frustration.

            "I'll say! And then if we try to say anything, they brand us as being the cheap ones! But contrary to popular perception, we have hearts! If you prick us, we do bleed! If you slander us, we feel hurt! Even charities need moolah to operate! But we couldn't even run a project for the public good if we wanted to when people come in and try to get the benefit of our services without paying for it!"

            Lissa was shocked. She wasn't exceptionally fond of Ricken, but she'd always thought of him as a nice enough kid, almost as incapable of skullduggery, or at least petty crime, as the farm boy they'd picked up, who seemed the very model of homegrown values and righteousness. To hear Anna now was to have the scales fall from her eyes. Suddenly Ricken was a public menace, an amoral enemy of society. If he were to jump out from behind a table at that moment and laugh maniacally, she wouldn't have been surprised. "Oh my gosh! I-I always thought he was such a good kid! I guess you really can't trust anyone anymore!"

            The Annas shook their heads in melancholy agreement. The Anna she didn't fully recognize even shed a tear. The Anna she was on familiar terms with gave more verbal voice to her grief.

            "It's tragic, really. Who can we call upon as a true pillar of society anymore? Who can we direct our children to as an example for our age? Morals are falling to the wayside, and in all the world, not a single good man is to be found."

            The shop was quiet for a brief sombre moment, but then Lissa's curiosity reminded her of an unenlightened detail. "So... Just what exactly has Ricken been doing?"

            The familiar Anna gritted her teeth with a low growl before she could bring herself to respond. "He's been coming in here and reading the tomes."

            Lissa was again shocked. Aghast even. But this time it was a different feeling that made her disbelieve her ears. Indeed, her face was feeling a little pinched from trying hard to suppress a series of loud chortles.

            "Reading the books? Really? I thought Ricken was plotting some kind of rare tome heist or something. You're not seriously telling me that coming by and browsing through a book or two is enough to hurt your shop!"

            Lissa found herself facing a pair of identically crossed arms and glowering eyes.

            "I'm sorry, Lissa, but when did this become a laughing matter?"

            The other Anna followed up on her sentence. "If you think this is just about reading books, then I don't think you actually understand what's going on here."

            "Exactly. It's not simply that Ricken is reading our books."

            "Not at all. The problem here is that Ricken thinks it's okay to come into a place of business and just read the books."

            "We're not exactly running a library here, you know! Although a subscription library for mages might be a good idea..."

            The familiar Anna's eyes lit up and she rested a finger on her cheek for a moment as she toyed with the idea. "You know. That might not actually be a bad idea. We should make a note of that, sis."

            The other Anna began stroking her chin. "Hmmm. If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then under the right circumstances that could actually be profitable. We'll have to bring it up at the next family conference."

            Lissa gulped. Facing two Annas on a roll was a daunting prospect, but she still wanted to know what the problem was.

            "So, um, if the problem is that Ricken is reading the books, but it's not that he's reading the books, what is it then?"

            The two sisters snapped back to attention and picked up the subject as if they'd never left off.

            "Well that's obvious, of course! If all he does is come in and read the books without buying them, then we can't move merchandise and make way for fresh stuff!"

            The other Anna nodded vigorously. "Exactly! And let's not get started on what it does to the product value with the way he's been thumbing through the pages and dog-earing the ones he apparently wants to come back later and review!"

            There was an audible gasp of rage from the familiar Anna. "And after just three browsing sessions, even the newest of those tomes looked like we procured it second-hand! He doesn't even have the decency to be gentle with them! Apparently Ricken doesn't realize that the less these books look like they're new, the more we have to discount the price, because no one is going to believe it's actually hot off the presses! Meanwhile, the Shepherds are currently a very limited market. The three major customers for tomes right now are Ricken, Robin, and Miriel. Unfortunately, Miriel is about as miserly as a miserable old spinster, while Robin actually spends money here, one loyal customer by himself doesn't make for a viable market!"

            Anna stopped, and sighed as if her very soul was growing weary.

            "I'm sorry, Lissa. You're probably not here to listen to me vent. But this is really getting me down! I want to keep more in stock than just Robin's advanced tomes, but Ricken's behaviour is really making it difficult! I've confronted him! I've tried reasoning with him! I've threatened to cook him for dinner! All it's done is drive him underground, with the little psychopath hiding his freshly-thumbed tomes under other tomes or even the tables so I won't notice what he was up to! So now it's war! I'm going to catch that little dastard in the act, and then I'm going to charge him for each and every tome he's ruined in the course of his covert study sessions!"

            It was Lissa's turn to blink owlishly from surprise.

            "Wow. Um, just... wow. I guess that really is serious... Have you tried talking to Chrom about him?"

            There was silence in the tent as both Annas looked at Lissa with a mixture of awe and incredulity.

            "...We could do that?"

            "Well I suppose there's no reason we couldn't do that... Why haven't we thought of that?"

            "Somehow it escaped me that it was ever an option... It never occurred to me that we could just complain to Ricken's boss. To think of how many tomes we could have saved...!"

            "At least the magic trap was cool, though."

            "Sis! Watch what you're saying! Lissa has innocent ears!"

            Lissa interjected, her quirked eyebrows and tilted head the very image of bewilderment.

            "I'm sorry, what? Isn't she talking about that suspended tome and the glowy Anna from a few minutes ago?"

            The unfamiliar Anna treated her sister to a withering glare. "Get your head out of the gutter! The Smart Projection Trap tome is the only thing I was talking about! Innocent ears indeed. Do we need to have a talk about why your mind is racing to weird conclusions when we talk about traps?"

            The other Anna backed away slightly, shaking her head and holding her hands up for what was probably her safety.

            "No, no!  Sorry, sis, my bad! And that's a really great idea, Lissa! We'll have to go see Chrom right after this! And as a gesture of gratitude, let me offer you a fitty percent discount on anything from this shop! Actually, that reminds me, what brings you to my shop, Lissa?"

            With the events that had happened since her arrival, Lissa had nearly forgotten about the original intentions of her visit. Now Anna's question jogged her memory, and the urgency of her mission came back like an oncoming tidal wave.

            "Oh my gosh! I nearly forgot! I'm on a mission to heal as many tiny little injuries as I can today, and I was hoping you might have a few leads for me on who in the camp might be in need of a healer's services! Concussions or limbs torn from their persons would be fantastic, but even papercuts and broken nails are enough today!"

            The Annas both tilted their heads a little in surprise, one cupping her chin in one hand and the other raising her eyebrows almost to her hairline.

            "I see! I suppose there's no reason not to use a staff outside of the battlefield, but I'm surprised you're so eager to use them even on something so trivial. Is there something going on?"

            In an impressive feat of expressiveness, even for a teenage girl, Lissa pouted while simultaneously giving voice to a deeply felt groan of frustration.

            "Oh my gosh, is there ever something going on! Chrom's told me that I'm too underleveled, even as a healer, to keep fighting in the vanguard with everyone else, and now I'm in a race against time to level up the only way I can so he and Robin will let me keep fighting instead of throwing me on the bench! I'm a healthy young girl! I have energy and spirit! I can't be put on the bench! I would die!"

            The Annas were as sympathetic an audience as she could have hoped for, gathering around her immediately and echoing the as-yet unspoken feelings within her heart.

            "That's so mean of them! Consigning a peppy young girl like you to the sidelines, why, you would wither away into a mere shadow of yourself!"

            "Indeed! There's nothing worse than inactivity and indolence for a young woman fresh in her prime! They might say they're concerned for your safety, but what they're proposing would be nothing short of murder!"

            "Don't worry, Lissa! Even if we have to search the kingdom for experience-giving potions, we won't let this bad future scenario come to pass! We... might have to charge a little for it... but I'm sure the royal treasury is also prepared to do its part to keep you in action!"

            "Awww! You guys! I promise you don't need to go that far for me! I really appreciate it, though!"

            Lissa was so moved by the Annas' warmly expressed sympathies that she found herself brushing back tears and suppressing a mild sniffle. A smile broke across her face like the dawning sun, its light brushing slight hues of pink across her cheeks.

            "But come to think of it, I also came here to buy a staff! Do you think you could hook a girl up?"

            Two eager arms entwined themselves around her shoulders, twirling her around and leading her further into the tent. A chill might have also run its way down her spine if Lissa had seen the gleam that had passed between the two merchants' eyes.

            "Can we hook you up? Gosh, Lissa, who do you think you're talking to?! If you can buy it, Anna is selling it! If you're looking for staves, then have I got a selection for you! Just come right this way, and we can make you the best outfitted cleric in Ylisse!"

            "But what kind of staff are you looking for? It sounds like you've been using a heal staff, but if you're looking to level up faster, then what you should consider using instead, is... this!"

            Lissa found an unfamiliar staff held up in front of her face.

            "Really? What is it?"

            The unfamiliar Anna was quick on the reply. "Why, this is a Physic staff! It has strong healing properties, but what really sets it apart is its ability to heal people from a distance! You could practically be halfway to Ylisstol and still heal everyone here! And talk about experience! Use this baby and you'll be leveling up in no time!"

            "Or you could use this guy!" Lissa found another staff presented for her inspection. "This is a Fortify staff! It's not quite as powerful as Physic, but it lets you heal everyone around you instead of just one person!"

            "Wait, sis! You don't want to recommend that one. She wants to level up this way, remember? The experience gained doesn't stack with the number of people healed, so if she used that and healed everyone in camp, she'd have shot herself in the foot! Here, Lissa, look at this one instead!"

            A slightly more elaborate staff was thrust into her vision. "Try this one, Restore! It's actually a special import. It heals injuries a little differently than most staves, but it's bound to give you loads of experience! And if you're just looking to heal petty injuries, you couldn't ask for better!"

            Lissa was intrigued, stretching a hand out to touch it. "This one is cool looking... I think I like it..." Then she found her hand pulled away, with another staff thrust into it instead.

            "No, no, no! Not today she's not! Lissa, don't listen to that lying hussy. Restore is bad news. There's a reason people don't use it here. It might be good for petty injuries, but what happens afterwards? Do you really want a staff you're just going to throw away after you're done today's quest? Hardly! I mean, this might sound a little strange coming from me, but you're hardly going to get your money's worth out of it! I recommend this one instead!"

            Lissa was not prepared for how heavy this new staff was and found herself letting out an audible "Oof!!" as its oversized head swung down when Anna let go of it and almost took out her toes.

            "Oh my gosh! What is this thing! Why is it so big?! Tell me this thing is going to make me level up in one go!"

            She was met with a smug smile and the shaking of a finger. "Nope! Not quite, but it's a kicker of a staff! This is Bifrost! This big boy is an extra special staff that brings people back from the dead!"

            Lissa's eyes and mouth could not have gone any wider without taking over her nose and eyebrows. Her words came out almost as squeaks.

            "Whaaaaat?! That's outrageous! That's so cool! I think I'll take it..."

            "No, you won't! Give me that!"

            The familiar Anna snatched it away, her body shaking slightly with visible irritation.

            "You call me a lying hussy and then have the nerve to try and sell Lissa that thing?! You dolt! She's still just a cleric, so she couldn't even use an s-ranked staff if she wanted to! And Bifrost?! She's healing people's trivial injuries, and she needs a staff for today! Right here, right now! Unless we run into a bunch of Risen without warning, when do you expect her to need this?"

            The other Anna scuffed a boot against the ground and averted her eyes sheepishly. "Um, well, Frederick could always be attacked by a bear!"

            "Uh huh. So, Frederick, big, strong, built-like-a-brick-wall Frederick, is going to get attacked, and more importantly, killed by a bear."

            Lissa snorted at that thought. "Ahaha! Oh man! I know he's a big fraidy cat when it comes to bears, but that's definitely a stretch. I couldn't see it."

            The familiar Anna stuffed the Bifrost staff behind her cloak with an exasperated huff, then pulled out another staff from the table behind her.

            "Instead of trying to sell you something you can't use..." She threw in an extra glare at her sister. "I recommend this baby! Recover!"

            Lissa eyed it keenly. It was a lot less visually impressive than the others she'd been shown so far.

            "I see.... It's not very cool looking. What makes this one special?"

            "Well it might not be much to look at, but if you want healing overkill while maximizing your experience, you couldn't do better than this one! Whether they've skinned their knee or they're right at death's door, this guy will get anyone back on their feet and full of health! We're talking full healing! Complete recovery! Up and at them in a jiffy! I don't think it'll level you up instantaneously, but it's definitely got the best experience payoff for the price!"

            "Oooooh! That sounds great! I'm already wasting staff uses, so I don't think Robin or Chrom will care if I use this one instead! And you say it's got the best experience payoff?"

            The familiar Anna nodded confidently. "I'm absolutely certain of it! So how many do you want, Lissa?"

            "Ohohoho! You think Recover is your best option? How quaint! You of all people should know better, sis!"

            Lissa looked around at the unfamiliar Anna, who was laughing through a hand held slyly up to her lips.

            "Maybe pick a few of those guys up for the battlefield, but if you're looking for quick experience gains in the immediate future, Recover might be good, but this is even better!"

            Spinning around, she whipped out the prettiest staff Lissa had ever seen, with a crystalline body and ornate, jewel-like details and etchings running up the shaft to its head. Lissa's eyes instantly lit up with stars, and hand compulsively reached out to touch its shimmery surface.

            "Oh my gosh, it's so pretty! What is it?! What does it do?! Can I use it?! Please tell me I can use it!"

            "Of course, you can! Even a first-time healer could use it to impressive effect! This is a glass staff! It's really fragile so it's only good for a few uses, but it heals almost as much as the staff my sister just showed you, and it gives you way more experience! Just a few rounds with this and I guarantee you'll hit your next level! They're a special order, you won't find them normally in Ylisse, but, well, we have our own special suppliers."

            Lissa's chest was heaving a little. "You mean if I use the pretty glass staff, I'll just need to heal three or four more people before I level up?!"

            "You betcha!"

            Lissa's fingers tightened around her new favourite weapon.

            "I'll take it! Three, no, five of these guys! And two of the Recover staves, too, just in case! Oh, it's so pretty! I'll need to keep one in my tent just to look at it!"

            "Of course! Once it’s yours you can do anything you please with it!"

            "Oh, man, maybe I'll need six of them… One extra to keep with me and another one for the castle back in Ylissetol… So how much do I owe you guys?"

            The familiar Anna chose this moment to re-enter the conversation, squeezing Lissa's shoulder with a friendly grasp.

            "Oh, Lissa, please. Don't worry about it! You're the princess of Ylisse, so we'll just give the bill to Chrom and Frederick later! With the discount, of course, for helping us with our Ricken problem and accidentally scaring you when you came in earlier! We wouldn't dream of making you pay out of pocket!"

            "Really? So, I can just walk out with these staves right now? Is that alright?"

            The other Anna came up and patted Lissa's other shoulder.

            "Of course, it's alright! You know us, and we know you, and we know the Shepherds are good for the money! And if they aren't, the Royal Family definitely is! Although there are actually two things we need you to do before you go."

            "Oh? What are those?"

            With a flourish, the familiar Anna produced a scribbled piece of paper and a feather pen and proffered them to Lissa.

            "Just sign this contract receipt declaring that you agree to purchase the selected goods for the agreed upon price, and that the invoice is to be made out at a later date to you or your representatives."

            "Okay, I guess that sounds okay. And I think it looks alright. And there's a line to sign my name right there..."

            After two seconds of scrawling out her signature, it wasn't something Lissa had a lot of practice with, she handed back the pen and paper.

            "And what's the other thing you need me to do?"

            It was the other Anna's turn to whip out a pen and a long, skinny sheet of paper.

            "Well, technically it's not something you need to do. You're free to take your staves now and go if you'd like! But before you do that, we would really love it if you would take our customer survey and tell us how you found everything today!"

            "A customer survey? What's that?"

            "It's nothing that will take more than a minute or two. We would just appreciate it if you could tell us how you found everything today, so we can know how to better serve our valued customers in the future!"

            "Oh! Well, um, it was okay, I guess? I think it seemed fine?"

            "I see..." Her interrogator leaned in a little closer. "Was it just fine? Are you sure it wasn't good? Or excellent even?"

            "Um, well, when you put it that way, I guess it was good."

            "Are you sure? You seemed very hesitant in your answer. Was there anything we could have done today to make your visit a better one? Is there anything you found lacking? Something more we could have done? Was there anything else you came looking for and couldn’t find? Did you find something you didn’t want to see? Oh, right, I guess that did happen. But besides that, was our performance at meeting your every need not up to your personal satisfaction? There must have been something, anything we could fix! Otherwise you’d tell us we did an excellent job today! Because I’m telling you, we strive to do our best to please you! What did we do wrong, Lissa?! What?! Did?! We?! Do?! WRONG?!”  
  
            The strength of Anna’s fervor was so great, Lissa felt it pushing her back into the other Anna, who was a lot more immovable than she would have given her credit. The very world seemed to be falling away from the maddened shopkeeper. Then it all stopped as the last vehemently desperate word broke into a gasp and a painful series of coughs.

            “Look, sis, I know we just learned about the benefits of giving customers a voice and the transformative power of their suggestions, but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to take it quite this deeply to heart. Look what you’ve done to Lissa! She’s shaking! The poor thing is probably too frightened to tell you anything you don’t want to hear, and what good will that do for us? We might be having some temporary problems, but we’re certainly not that hard up.”

            Lissa couldn’t help noticing the way the less familiar Anna held a hand to her throat as she croaked out a more crestfallen response.

            “You might have a point. I think I lost my voice with that last syllable.”

            “With all that screaming, I swear we’ll be lucky if that’s not all you lost. What am I going to do with you?”

            The wheels in Lissa’s brain were known for turning quickly, and in this instance they did themselves credit by pulling her back from the mild terror that gripped her to point out that now was one of those moments she had been on the hunt for since Chrom and Robin had first given her a brush with existential terror earlier that day.

            “Hold on a second! I don’t know what you’re going to do with her, but I know what I can do right now! He- I mean, Glass Staff Heal!”

            She swung one of her shiny new toys into the air with all the fresh energy of the adrenaline rush from having the life frightened out of her, and a green aura poured down around the unfamiliar Anna in a shower of light. Once it faded, the Anna coughed experimentally, then coughed again with a more intent furrow to her brows, then pounced on Lissa without warning and burst into tears.

            “Lissa, I’m so sorry! You’re such a true friend! Even after I went overboard and terrorized you, you still took pity! You gentle creature! You truly noble hearted soul! Thank you! I’m so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?! How can I make this up to you?!”   

            "Um, well, I'm not sure? I guess if you want to do something, you could help me track down more people after we're done here."

            "That's a great idea! It's only appropriate that after marring what could have been a positive experience in acquiring supplies for your quest, I make up for it by actively making sure your purchase doesn't go to waste! You can count on me! Truly, a friend in need is a friend indeed! And never let it be said that an Anna wasn't there for her friends in their time of need!"

             The familiar Anna couldn't stifle a giggle. "Oh, you. I can't help but pitch in myself after that little speech. Some friend I would be if all I did to help was profit off her personal crises. Right! Business has been slow today, anyways. We might as well close up shop and venture forth to aid Lissa in her healing pursuits!"

            "Oh my gosh! You're going to close up shop for me? Are you sure?"

            "Of course! Like I said, business has been on the slow side today, and I'm not sure this one can be trusted not to go around accosting people in their tents." She affectionately flicked her sister's forehead. "I swear, you don't get bored in this family. And besides which, I really do feel like I should do a bit more to help than just selling you some staves. Like my sister said, no true Anna could stand by and not lift a hand to help her friends when they're in trouble! It would be inhuman of me not to help!"

            "Ohhhhh!" It was Lissa's turn for a display of intense emotion as she grabbed the two sisters in a bear hug. "Thank you, Anna! And you too, Anna! I'll never forget this!"

            A slight gasp and a feeling of bruised ribs was shared by the two sisters.

            "It's- okay! Let's just get out there and find some injured waifs to heal!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! For returning readers, I really apologize. This chapter was supposed to be done months ago. Time Management is... not my strong suit, and something I want to work on. But I am committed to finishing this! Chapter 4 will, hopefully, be up before spring 2019 ^^; Lissa must level up! (And my wife will be unhappy if I don't bring this to a satisfactory close).

**Author's Note:**

> This was very much inspired by the struggle of trying to keep Lissa and Maribelle at a reasonably close level to the rest of the party, and the inevitable healing of single hit points resulting in my wife and I joking about healing stubbed toes and hangnails. I've genuinely enjoyed writing this so far, but I definitely did not grasp the scope of the work I was doing when I first started. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading! Kudos and feedback are appreciated! And please look forward to the next chapters!


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